Flowering Trees Master Gardener Core Training Gerald Klingaman and Janet Carson Cooperative Extension Service

Flowering trees Are accent points in the landscape plan Massed plantings give most impact Usually produce more blooms if given at least six hours of sunlight Being smaller plants, can be planted within five feet of the foundation of a home without concern

Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida Height 20 feet Spread 25 feet Growth rate - slow to medium Hardy zones 5 to 9 Moist but well drained soil Some afternoon shade or high understory best

Flowering Dogwood

Pink Flowering Dogwood

Avoiding Dogwood Problems Plant in the right location and water as needed Avoid stress to reduce the chance of borers Dont wound the trunk to avoid borers Put dogwoods where the foliage will dry early in the morning to avoid powdery mildew

Cornus kousa the Japanese Dogwood

Cornus kousa x C. florida Stellar Dogwood

Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis Height - 25 feet Spread - 25 feet Growth rate - fast Hardy zones Best in full sun. Transplants best from container grown plants. Seed pods unsightly in winter Trunks can split in ice storms

White Redbud

Golden Raintree Koelreuteria paniculata Height - 35 feet Spread - 30 feet Growth rate - medium Hardy zones 5 -9 Best transplanted from container grown plants in spring. Very drought tolerant.

Golden Raintree

Bradford Pear Pyrus calleryana Height - 40 feet Spread - 35 feet Growth rate - fast Hardy zones Very formal in appearance with many branches creating weak trees. Multiple seasons of beauty but overplanted.

Problems with Bradford Pear Formal shape limits their use to formal landscape settings Larger than most people realize Break because of limb structure - prune up and thin out excess limbs Fruiting can result in escaped seedlings Select more narrow clones to avoid problems with the broad-spreading crown getting too large.

Buying Time by Severe Pruning One year after severe pruning

Capitol Flowering Pear

Fastigiate European Hornbeam Carpinus betulus Height - 45 feet Spread - 15 feet Growth rate - slow Hardy zones Good substitute for Bradford pear. Very formal appearance.

Crapemyrtle Lagerstroemia indica Height - 5 to 35 feet Spread - 5 to 20 feet Growth rate - medium Hardy zones Beautiful summer flower- ing tree of the south. Blooms white, pink, purple and red. Transplant in spring. Winterkill once a decade in north Arkansas

Near East Crapemyrtle

Natchez L. x fauriei hybrid

Crapemurder

Southern Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Height ft Spread - 80 ft Growth rate - medium Beautiful specimen but needs lots of room. Long lived. Named selections available

Southern Magnolia

Magnolia Little Gem

Saucer Magnolia Magnolia soulangiana Height - 35 feet Spread - 25 feet Growth rate - slow Hardy zones Blooms very early and flowers often destroyed by frost. Many hybrids and selections.

Saucer Magnolia Star Magnolia

Japanese Flowering Cherries Prunus yedoensis Height - 35 feet Spread - 35 feet Growth rate - medium Hardy zones Must have good drain- age. Susceptible to a host of insect and disease problems but among the most beautiful small trees when in bloom in the spring.

Crabapples Malus sp. Height ft. Spread ft. Growth rate - medium to fast Hardy zones Dependable spring blooming tree with blooms in shades of pink, red and white. Plant only disease resistant selections.

Crabapples

Select Disease Resistant Crabapples Major diseases of crabapples in Arkansas include apple scab, fire blight, and cedar apple rust Resistant selections include Prairie Fire, Callaway, Donald Wyman, Sparkler, and many others Spraying is not recommended for landscape plantings unless in really critical site. For apple scab spray with fruit fungicide at bloom drop and twice as new growth appears.

Some Less Common Flowering Trees

Fringetree Grancy Gray Beard Chionanthus virginicus Height – 20 feet Spread – 15 feet Growth Rate – slow Flowers after dogwood An interesting, but uncommon native for the semi-shaded yard

Japanese Snowbell Styrax japonica Heitht – 25 feet Spread – 15 feet Growth Rate – slow Blooms appear in April Plant near patios or entries where flowers can be viewed up close

Witchhazel Hamamelis vernalis Height – 15 feet Spread – 15 feet Growth Rate – slow Blooms in mid winter Flowers small so plant where it can be enjoyed up close

Ozark Witchhazel

Chastetree Vitex agnus-castus Height –15 feet Spread – 20 feet Growth rate – medium Flowers in June In northern Arkansas plants can winterkill in severe winter